Will have defects, knots, open knots, missing tongues, machine burns, splits in the wood and short pieces (12"-8"). No returns allowed. This product comes in square-edge or v-groove and my be mixed product. Utility grade material is sold as is-no warranty, no returns, no cancellations. Utility grade material is on an accumulation basis which means this item may have an excessive wait time.

Please note unfinished flooring is sold in open, strapped bundles and not sold in boxes. This product must be purchased in bundles. Bundle size may vary.

I purchased the wood to make card boxed.. needless to say this was not its original intent. but for me it is working very well and outside of the defects the only real waste will be the saw dust.. great buy

The variation in grain and other beautiful results of knots and other so-called imperfections make this a beautifully figured floor. Make sure you plan to do a light sand before applying finish. But if you wanted perfect wood you wouldn't be buying this anyway. Way more beautiful than the flooring it was cut off if you ask me. Love that the edges are not chamfered so I get a fully flat floor instead of one with grooves.

I bought an extra 25% but needed another 2 bundles anyway so not quite as cheap as I thought but that is fine they should just be more realistic about the amount of waste you may incur. Bottom line I love my floor, absolutely gorgeous as long as you don't mind the work!

i bought 1000 foot to do 600 foot.that was about right for the job i had. 40% waste. i and sorted each piece and also knocked it , differant sound if board has a crack. the pieces with missing tougne or grove save for wall pieces. you have to be picky when sorting.sanding use the drum sander at homedepot and edge sander to get close to wall. rent in the afternoon .first sand and fill, big holes you will need to apply another coat. let dry over night, finish sanding in the morning 24 hour rental.i used good picece with knot holes just filled them and used coloring penciles to color before sealing.the look is worth the extra efort using this wood.apply seal thick when using water base sealer.

I used this utility oak to floor about 1000 square feet in a rental house. Other reviewers have covered the goods and bads, and I agree with most of what I read. An important thing that I haven't seen addressed, is that I'm getting a LOT of surface splintering that even the floor sander and two coats of poly aren't covering. SO....take the extra time when sorting usable pieces from usable, and select based on feel as well as sight. If I had known beforehand, I would have rubbed a terrycloth rag across the surface of every piece I used before installation. It would have saved me many hours of repair work afterward.

I bought 400 sq ft to finish 320 sq ft. I got 240 out of it. I had to buy more select oak to finish the room on time. I would only recommend this product to someone with lots of time on their hands and the tools to redo the tongues and grooves when you have to cut out imperfections. I am not a picky person and I like character in a floor but this stuff is just a little too much work for the savings involved. Knots, undersized in all directions and splits are to be expected.

There were lots of missing tongues and grooves, warped pieces, etc., like others have said, so it was really hard to install (it took a long time to go through and find good pieces). It ended up looking great, though. I estimate that it was close to $2.00 or $2.50 per sf once all of the other factors (renting the sander, finishing it, getting rid of all of the unusable pieces) are considered. This does not include the repairs to the drywall caused by my husband's irritation with said warped pieces. :)

Beautiful variety to this wood - just be sure to plan on 25-30% culled as other reviewers have mentioned. Cull includes cracked boards, not just scuffed/knotholes. But SO much character! So inexpensive that you can easily hire a professional to install - and still pay less overall than for fake "wood" laminate. If in Austin TX area contact www.oldcrowrestoration.com - Mike is highly recommended to install these gorgeous floors!

This flooring is for folks who want character in their floor. It is not perfect - not even close. I hit mine with a hammer and a saw to give it some extra character. I burned a lot in my wood stove since it was not useable so order extra. BUT... I wanted character. And with a lot of cuts, a lot of patience, and some yelling from my wife to get it done, I got it done. The pic is after 1 coat of wet semigloss. I gave it 4 coats before using satin as final finish and I got the look I wanted. Visitors assume it is reclaimed oak from some old mansion for crazy money.... alas, it was under a buck at lumber liquidators.

3/4" x 3 1/4" Unfinished Utility Oak Flooring Utility. Yes this material needs to be sanded and finished after its been installed.Thank you for your inquiry

Answered on 6/5/2013 by cc-2

Q:

I would like to install this over my concrete foundation on the main level of the house(Approx 900 sqft). My house was built in 1986. I am a beginner. What is the best way to adhere this floor to the concrete? What underlayment is necessary to attach the floor and/or provide moisture barrier if any?

Utility grade is made up of mainly short boards which can be glued down according to Bellawood Solid Instructions. Snap plenty of chalk lines as a guide to keep your rows straight. About one every 2nd or 3rd row.

we started redoing our home and found hardwood floors under the carpet would like to use this floor but we found some pieces rotted out. would this product be able to use as replacement for damaged pieces ?

Maybe, the issue issue you may find is the tongue and groove milling may differ from your flooring. If the width is exact then you should be able to work with it. For details on replacing, type, "replacement" here - www.lumberliquidators.com/ll/flooring/Flooring101

Answered on 3/20/2013 by Tech & Install

Q:

Could I used this product on a wall? If so, would I use a nail gun or glue or both?

For a nail down application i recommend a moisture retarder paper such as our 15 lb roofing felt or Silicone Vapor Shield.For complete Underlayment application information; Please go to our Website @ LumberLiquidators.com and at the bottom of the page click on Flooring 101, enter –LL Underlayment Guide- , enter, then click on the PDF to open. Thank you for your inquiry.

Answered on 8/29/2012 by cc-2

Q:

If I have concrete floors, couldn't I lay down Elastalon over the concrete and then secure this flooring to the Elastalon instead of nailing it to a subfloor?

Yes this is possible with a solid 3/4" product but I would caution it's use with a "utility" (tavern) product as there can be many shorts & missmilled boards.Tavern Grade:This is a random length wood product that comes 1’ to 4’ in length, the average length is about 2'.

Tavern or Utility

This product comes in square-edge or v-groove and may be mixed product. Will have defects, knots, open knots, missing tongues, machine burns, splits in the wood and short pieces (12"-8"). No returns allowed. Cabin, tavern, or utility grade hardwood can provide a low-cost option in hardwood. When purchasing this grade be sure to add 20%-25% to complete the project.

SUMMARY: Tavern Grade flooring will contain significant variations in wood coloration and character; however, such imperfections should still provide a serviceable floor. Tavern grade has the lowest average board length of all standard wood grades.

DETAILED: Tavern grade flooring will admit a limited amount of unfilled and unfinished open characters including open knots, splits, or cracks. Severely mis-manufactured boards, shattered or rotten ends, pieces with less than ¼tongue, or other unsound defects of a similar nature are typically not permitted. Tavern grade pre-finished flooring will contain a limited amount of pieces with finish irregularities including, but not limited to: bubbles, finish skips or lines, severe streaks, stain/color variation, surface handling scratches, and grainy surface/debris. When assembled, Tavern grade flooring may exhibit gapping that exceeds 0.031”and end/side over-wood(e.g. height variation between adjacent boards) that exceeds 0.030”.

NOTE: This grade description is intended only to provide general characteristics of the identified wood grade, and is not all-inclusive. Specific wood characteristics and acceptance criteria may vary by wood species.